Great Smoky Mountains National Park
from Bob Cantor's National Parks Photo Gallery

The Mountain Farm Museum is just inside the east entrance to the park, near Cherokee, just behind the Visitor Center.
The trailhead for Rainbow Falls is just past the start of the very scenic Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. The falls can be reached in a moderate half-day of hiking. Don't let a little rain stop you, because it's hard to imagine the falls looking any more beautiful than on the misty morning when I took this photo.
This early morning view was taken from a roadside overlook just a mile or so from the Sugarlands Visitor Center.
You'll pass these cascades on LeConte Creek after 1.7 miles on the trail to Rainbow Falls.
The Oliver Place is the first stop on the Cades Cove driving (or bicycling or walking) tour, which takes you through a restored 19th century farming community. This area is one of the park's most popular highlights.



Grotto Falls is a 1.3 mile walk (one-way) with a moderate climb. It's accessed from the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. The first picture was taken on a mid-week afternoon in mid-May with light rain on and off throughout the day. I was the only one there. The second picture is on a beautiful Friday afternoon in late July.

Some other waterfalls in the park:


Laurel Falls
Abrams Falls
Ramsey Cascades
The Sinks



I couldn't resist adding these. Gatlinburg and Cherokee, at the east and west end of Newfound Gap Road, are just about the most tacky tourist trap towns you'll ever get to visit. But they're also a lot of fun. My favorite attraction was the Museum of Salt and Pepper Shakers (image 1 and image 2) in Gatlinburg, TN.


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©2013 by Robert Cantor